Dear ECS,
Hey sweetie, we have had a wonderful day. In fact more like several wonderful days in
the paradise of the Seychelles. Yep, at
the tender age of two you have already been to one of the most paradisiacal and
idyllic spots in the world. Of course,
you lived your first year+ in the idyllic Bahamas; so being in the Seychelles
came very naturally.
We snuck away to the Seychelles for a long weekend with our
friends. Our ocean side villa had in
essence its own beach, which you put to frequent and adorable use. Having the beach right out of the back patio made
being at the beach so easy and enjoyable. Seeing you running around so so so
happily on the beach, running from the water in delight and doing a fair bit of
digging hit all the highlights for a two year old reveling in the beach. Watching you run with all of your being
showcased how much you have grown in the months we have been in Addis. Your physical movement and mental/verbal
connections make me as a dad so happy to be part of as you growth and evolution.
That was right out our front door – and it would have been a
sublime vacation if we had never left our little compound. Friends, good food, the beach, what more do
you need? Of course, this being--your
ever in movement--parents and family, the chilling did not come naturally and we
also drove around the island to enjoy several stunning beaches, which were
especially photogenic with the white sand contrasted by the green rainforest,
the azure ocean and these huge rocks scattered seemingly everywhere along the
coast.
One thing that happens on a good vacation is that time slows
down. Our Seychelles trip had that
slowing down in spades, which was welcome from a very hectic February for the
Korol family. We were gone for just a
few days, but it felt like two or three times that, in the very best way. I had been apart from you and your mom for
basically two+ weeks straight, so the immersive time we got to spend together
on our trip felt extra special.
Victoria, Seychelles and Nassau, Bahamas are separated by 9017.76
miles. Not much at all! From the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic,
including the entire, massive African continent, that is a long trip. I was not sure what to expect on the culture
side of Seychelles, having spent exactly zero minutes reading up on the culture
of the island chains. So it warmed my
heart to see so many similarities to our beloved Bahamas. Your mom made the point that both places
seemed to have cultures that centered around the ocean, which is surprisingly not
the case for so many coastal locales.
Both are also heavily tourist dependent.
Both have some of the prettiest waters you will see in this big,
bountiful world. Probably my favorite
similarity was how both places have parties, with a tent and BBQ set up on the
beach and a soundtrack via a stereo for some serious chilling.
The last cherry on top for our trip was the stunning nature
and topography of the islands. The
Seychelles are 360 degrees dramatic, with the most pleasant competition going on
for our attention between the stunning waters and the dramatic hills and
cliffs. I had expected islands that were
flat, kind if in the vein of what I imagine the Maldives look like. Nope!
The islands are steep, with thousand foot ridges right off the ocean,
and granite cliffs sprinkled throughout the verdant tropical rainforest. Rather than flat islands poking just above
the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles have mountains up to almost 3,000 feet from
the ocean a few miles away. Stunning.
So glad to have spent the time in that stunning landscape with you.
love,
dad
